On Tue, 5 Dec 2000 15:04:41 -0800, Wally Day <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

I wrote:
>> If it's protein, I would think not of protein
>> amounts, but rather protein
>> quality: Access to certain amino acids - like the
>> sulphur amino acids.
>
>Ummm, Amadeus, you're not saying that the animal
>protein is a **more complete** protein, are you? :)

I would say, both proteins, that from the chimp diet (predominately fruit)
and from animals have their defficiencies in certain amino acids.
Meats and dairy are a somewhat closer to human demands as certain plants -
but i never read about the composition of fruit protein, it's too seldom for
humans.
I could imagine that fruit and termites are complementary so, that each one
serves as a source for the AA's missing in the other one.
Like cereals and legumes together form a considerable better protein as meat
alone.

I think about constructing a program using the USDA database's AA lists
and comparing any protein compositions with the most ideal protein found so
far (potatoe with egg). USDA only lists the "limiting" amino acid,
sometimes.

Ideal protein compositions may be of bigger interest as we used to think.
As last the neolithic culture spread to quickly always using the
cereal/legume backbone - a very good protein.
Likewise chimps may invest much effort in enhancing the protein composition
by adding a few termites.

Amadeus